


I’ll protect you for as long as you’ll have me

by SprinklesofSunshine



Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies), X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men (Original Timeline Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Charles has had a crap childhood, Erik has Issues, Multi, Protective Erik
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:47:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27787726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SprinklesofSunshine/pseuds/SprinklesofSunshine
Summary: Erik and Azazel have been assigned to protect a rich, snobby young man named Charles, who’s been receiving a number of death threats. At first glance, it seems like it will be a pretty easy few months whilst they wait for the threats to fizzle out. However, when things start to get more serious, Erik becomes thrown into something he just doesn’t understand.
Relationships: Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier
Comments: 9
Kudos: 49





	I’ll protect you for as long as you’ll have me

**Author's Note:**

> This story is inspired by the second gif in this gifset here: https://sprinklesofsunshine.tumblr.com/post/612610176959365120/omg-its-perfect
> 
> See the end of the chapter for warnings!
> 
> Let me know what you think! I’m hoping to continue with this if people like it!

Erik was pissed. 

No, scratch that. He was enraged. His hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly he was genuinely surprised he hadn’t ripped it completely off. It certainly wasn’t helping that his partner, Azazel, was outright laughing at him in the passenger seat. Erik had decided to be an adult and ignore him completely. 

“Fucking hell, Erik, we’ve been working together like, what, eight years? And we’ve been friends for way longer than that. I’ve seen you face down the worst kind of attackers without even breaking a sweat. And now you’re going to tell me the one thing in this world that will make the great Erik Lehnsherr crack is a bratty, rich kid?” 

Erik felt his eye begin to twitch as Azazel continued to snicker. 

“Do not start with me”, Erik growled as he swerved round the next corner, street lights blurring as he stamped down on the accelerator. 

As usual, his temper had no effect on Azazel, who instead chose to ignore him completely and continue talking. 

“So... what is it about Charles that gets you so mad? I mean yes the kid is a pain in the ass but this is isn’t the hardest job we’ve ever had.” 

He hated to admit it but Azazel did have point....maybe. They’d only been on this job for a couple of months but so far it had been relatively easy money and the type of job they were well used to by now. Babysitting rich snobs sure did pay well.

Shaw had called the both of them into his office on a cool Monday morning, the stench of cigarette smoke making Erik’s eyes water within just minutes of being in that room. Shaw grinned at them lazily before tossing a file down in front of them. 

“Young man, twenty years old, part of the Xavier clan, so very old money. He’s been receiving a number of death threats and the parents want him protected, which is where you both come in.” Shaw grinned at them both like he’d just awarded them with a vacation in Hawaii. 

If the man didn’t pay his wages, Erik would be rolling his eyes. Fortunately, his mother had managed to instil at least some manners in him.

“So, why all the threats?” asked Azazel, already flicking through the file, keen eyes taking in every detail.

“The young man in question is about to become extremely wealthy, in three months in fact, on his twenty first birthday.”

“Millions?”

“Billions”, Shaw waggled his eyebrows. Azazel whistled lowly. 

“So what exactly will be required of us?” questioned, fingers tapping restlessly against his hip. Shaw was well known for making meetings last forever.

“They want round the clock cover -“

“Who’s they?”

“The Mother, Sharon Marko, and stepfather, Kurt Marko. They will be living in their penthouse in the city but are requesting that the boy be kept at their house in Westchester, where they feel it’s safer for him. It’s a pretty solitary place so it will likely just be the three of you, plus a few monitored servants.”

“Sounds easy enough.” 

Shaw hummed absently, already flicking through some more files on his pig sty of a desk. 

“Lehnsherr, you’ll be the primary on this case and Azazel will be around to assist where needed.” 

They’d then had to fill out a bunch of paperwork before finally being released with he files. Both men had walked out of the office feeling rather relaxed and confident about their assignment. Looking back now, Erik wanted to go back and slap his past self for being so cocky. 

That cockiness was exactly how they’d found themselves screeching into an empty parking lot at 2:00am. As soon as the engine shut off Erik was up out of the car, slamming the door hard behind him. 

As his eyes fell on the subject of his anger, he felt his blood start to boil again. 

Charles was sat on an abandoned car, drinking a beer with a number of empty bottles dumped by the tyres. Seeing Erik and Azazel , his mouth pulled up into a mocking smirk. For a split second, anger flashed behind his eyes before it was replaced with a challenging stare. 

“What the hell are you fucking playing at?” Erik growled, eyes narrowing at the sheer amount of alcohol the man had clearly put away.

Charles scoffed. 

“What am I playing at? I’ve been gone for five hours and you’ve only just found me. I thought you guys were supposed to be the best

“Get in the car you’re coming with us”

“No.”

“No?”

“You heard me”, Charles sneered before bringing the bottle back up to his lips. It would have sounded threatening if he wasn’t slurring most of his words. 

Erik felt his hands clench automatically and didn’t miss when Charles’ eyes flicked down and clocked it too. But instead of looking scared he simply raised an elegant eyebrow at him, almost daring him to snap.

“Enough!” Erik grabbed him roughly by the arm, yanking the bottle out of his hand and throwing it to the side. Charles’ glare just intensified, not even flinching when the glass shattered. Erik had to give him some credit for that. Realising he still had the man’s arm in a bruising grip, he loosened it slightly. Enough to ensure he’d still have blood circulation in it. 

As much as Charles grated on him, he wouldn’t want him hurt. Much.

“What are you even doing out here?” Azazel asked, apparently finding this whole situation vaguely amusing, judging by his tone.

Charles glanced down at the hand still gripping his bicep, raising his eyebrows briefly again before turning back to Azazel with a mocking smile.

“Testing your reaction time.”

Erik saw red.

“Listen here you little shit”, Erik shook him roughly by the shoulders, “this isn’t a fucking game of hide and seek. I don’t give a damn if you want to take risks with your life but we have a job to do here. Real threats have been made against you and I’ll be dammed if we lose our jobs because you think it’s funny to run off and get pissed. You are coming with us now whether you like it or not.”

He didn’t even give Charles a moment to retaliate, quickly picking him up and throwing him over his shoulder before beginning to stalk back to the car. Somewhere under the rage there was a part of him that was concerned by just how light the boy was to carry. 

True to form, Charles wasn’t going quietly, hitting his back and swearing profusely. He even managed to get a well aimed knee into Erik’s chest before he was unceremoniously dumped into the back of the car, Erik following him in. 

“Drive!” Erik grit out to Azazel in the front.

Erik eventually managed to wrestle Charles into his seatbelt, made easier by the alcohol running through the younger mans veins, making his movements sloppy.

As they drove, Erik couldn’t help but glance over at Charles. The young man had finally stilled and was staring silently out the window, practically plastered against the door to get himself away from Erik. 

Erik expected him to still look angry instead he almost looked sad, defeated even. Each time they passed under a street light the glow illuminated his face for a moment and Erik saw his eyes glistening with tears. 

He opened his mouth to saying something, anything, but Azazel beat him to it.

“We’re back, comrades.”

The car had barely stopped outside the house before Charles had thrown open the door and was already stalking towards the house, managing to only stumble slightly up the steps to the door. Erik followed closely behind whilst Azazel went to complete the perimeter checks. 

The mansion was cold and quiet at this time and even Erik with all his training still had to suppress a shiver at the eerie feeling the building gave off. 

Charles continued to stalk on ahead of him, not even bothering to check if anyone was following him. After what felt like an hour of walking, they finally reached his room and, unsurprisingly, immediately he tried to slam the door in Erik’s face. Luckily, Erik was faster and managed to get a foot in the door before it shut.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Charles pushed at the door again, his movements still sloppy but the haze behind his eyes beginning to clear. 

“I’m sleeping in your room tonight.” Taking advantage of Charles’ stunned silence, he pushed against the door and swept into the room. He walked over to the windows and began locking them, drawing the shades tightly across them. He made a some more checks and sent Az a quick message to let him know the room was secure. He got an affirmative back, along with a note that Az would take the first watch shift. 

He turned around to see Charles still stood at his door, once again with a look of rage on his face. He sighed, feeling the anger slowly draining out of him. “Come on, you need some sleep and I would like to get at least a few hours in before I have to take watch.”

“No!”

“Yes. I’ll even let you take the first shower”, he replied bluntly, frankly too tired to put in any more effort to argue. He wanted nothing more at that moment than to flop face first onto the frankly extremely comfy looking couch and pass out for a couple of hours.

“I am not a child!” Now Charles was the one yelling, striding towards him. 

“Really?” He replied monotonously, turning away and grabbing his bag from the corridor. “Because running away to get hammered is a completely responsible adult decision.” Not bothering to wait for a response, he opened the nearest dresser and pulled out a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants and threw them unceremoniously at Charles. 

“Now, go shower. You smell like you took a bath in alcohol.” He grabbed Charles’ arm and steered him towards the bathroom, unsurprised when the young man in question ripped it from his grip, stormed into the bathroom and slammed the door in his face. 

Erik rolled his eyes, despite the fact that Charles couldn’t see him. 

This job was going to be harder than he thought....

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: mentions of heavy drinking


End file.
